Intersil’s Power Management IC Provides Fast and Flexible Battery Authentication

ISL9206 Uses Intersil’s FlexiHash™ Technology to Achieve Battery Authentication through a Challenge-Response Scheme Using a 32-Bit Challenge Code and an 8-Bit Authentication Code

Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance analog semiconductors, today introduced the ISL9206, a highly cost-effective fixed-secret hash engine based on Intersil’s second generation FlexiHash™ technology. The device provides a fast and flexible authentication process, and multi-pass authentication can be used to provide the highest possible security level.

Authentication is achieved through a challenge-response scheme that does not require a fixed challenge and therefore eliminates situations where eavesdropping on the communication bus could reveal the secrets. The unique secret is never communicated between the host and the device being authenticated.

"A counterfeit prevention solution utilizing the ISL9206 offers safety and revenue protection at the lowest cost and power,” said Andrew Rhind, vice president and general manager for Intersil’s Consumer Power products group. “This device is suitable for protection against unapproved third-party products for a wide variety of low-cost applications.”

Cost-Effective Battery Authentication
Intersil’s ISL9206 is ideal for use in systems such as mobile phones, printer cartridges, power tools, and medical devices that require active authentication to protect consumers against fraud and to protect intellectual property. Mobile phones utilizing Lithium-based batteries are particularly vulnerable to counterfeit batteries and the ISL9206 will help to identify counterfeit batteries so the system can take appropriate action.

The ISL9206 is a highly cost-effective fixed-secret hash engine based on Intersil’s second generation FlexiHash technology. It has a wide operating voltage range and is suitable for direct powering from a 1-cell Li-ion/Li-poly or a 3-cell series NiMH battery pack. Higher cell count/voltage packs are also supported by connecting to the lowest cell in the stack.

Communication with the host is achieved through a single-wire XSD interface, a lightweight subset of Intersil’s ISD bus interface. The XSD bus is compatible for use with serial ports offered by all 8250-compatible UARTs or a single GPIO (general purpose input and output) pin of a microprocessor. The ISL9206 can be powered by the XSD bus when the bus pull-up voltage is 3.3V or higher. The device connects directly to the cell terminals of a battery pack and includes an on-chip voltage regulation circuit, POR, and a non-crystal based oscillator for bus timing reference.

Key Features
•Challenge-response based authentication scheme using 32-bit challenge code and 8-bit authentication code
•Fast and flexible authentication process. Multi-pass authentication can be used to achieve the highest security level if necessary
•16x8 OTP ROM stores up to three sets of 32-bit host-selectable secrets with additional programmable memory for storage of up to 48 bits of ID code and/or pack information
•FlexiHash engine uses two sets of 32-bit secrets for authentication code generation
•Non-unique mapping of the secret key to an 8-bit authentication code maximizes hacking difficulty due to need for exhaustive key search
•Supports 1-cell Li-ion/Li-poly and 3-cell series NiMH battery packs (2.6V ~ 4.8V operation), or powered by the XSD bus
•XSD single-wire host bus interface communicates with UARTs or a single GPIO. Supports CRC on read data and transfer bit-rate up to 23kbps
•True “zero power” sleep mode - automatically entered after a bus inactivity time-out period
•5 Ld SOT-23 package or a 2x3 TDFN
•-20°C to +85°C operating temperature range
•Pb-free plus anneal available (RoHS compliant)
Target Applications
•Mobile phone battery pack authentication
•Printer and toner cartridges
•High-power battery packs for power tools, mobility products, diagnostic equipment
•Add-on accessories
•Other non-monetary authentication applications
About Intersil’s Power Management Portfolio
Intersil’s high-performance analog ICs provide innovative power management solutions for applications in the computing, communications, peripherals, display, networking, telecommunications, industrial, instrumentation and battery-powered products markets. Intersil is a leading supplier of PWM controller ICs with over two billion units shipped. Intersil offers a broad portfolio of power management ICs, including single and multiple output switching regulators, integrated FET DC/DC controllers, battery management ICs, hot plug controllers and power MOSFET drivers. To learn more, visit Intersil’s Power Management page at http://www.intersil.com/power.
Analog Technology on Display at Electronica
Intersil will display its complete portfolio of high-performance analog products that address the industry’s fastest-growing markets at Electronica 2006 from November 14-17, 2006 in Hall A4, Booth 207 at the New Trade Fair Centre in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit http://www.intersil.com/cda/Events/Event_shell/0,1246,132,00.html.
Pricing and Availability
The ISL9206 is available now in a 5-lead SOT-23 or a 6 lead 2x3 TDFN package and is priced at $0.40 in 1,000-unit quantities. For more information on the ISL9206, visit http://www.intersil.com/cda/deviceinfo/0,1477,ISL9206,0.html.

A large selection of power products is supported by Intersil’s iSim™ online design tool. To explore these solutions, visit http://www.intersil.com/isim/.

Note to editors: To view a high-resolution downloadable photo of the ISL9206, visit Intersil’s photo room at: http://www.intersil.com/pressroom/photoarchives.asp.